


Four Times Jack Meant to Say I Love You, and One Time He Didn’t

by WrathoftheStag (Mwuahna)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Canon dialog, Fluff, M/M, Saying I Love You, Skype dates, bitty with the flu, canonical first i love you, first I love yous, jack x bitty, zimbits - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 17:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18036179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mwuahna/pseuds/WrathoftheStag
Summary: Just what it says on the tin.  Jack tries to say I love you, but can't quite do it.





	Four Times Jack Meant to Say I Love You, and One Time He Didn’t

**Author's Note:**

> I totally threw this together in an hour, so forgive any mistakes.

**I.**

“So Madisynn said, ‘You drive me crazy!’ and then Colby sassed, ‘I don’t know how to drive!’” Bitty said as he began to laugh again in earnest.

This was their nightly routine since Bitty went home to Madison. Each night, just before bedtime, Jack and Bitty would Skype and tell one another about their day. The graduation kiss, through still fresh, seemed far too long ago for Jack’s taste, so he loved being able to see Bitty’s face each night. Jack would tell Bitty about training camp and NHL news, while Bitty would share the latest in summer camp shenanigans.

“Haha.” 

Jack laughed right along with Bitty—not because he thought the story was particularly funny, but because he loved seeing Bitty laugh. There was nothing better in the world, and it’s something Jack wished he would have realized sooner.

Jack smiled as he watched Bitty wipe the corner of his eyes.

“Lord, that Colby is something else. He’s so funny!”

“You’re something else,” Jack said and could practically feel the hearts in his eyes.

“Oh, you,” Bitty blushed.

Jack loved how adorable Bitty was. Had he always been that damn cute? Yes. Yes, he had. Jack took a deep breath.

“Bits,” he began, “I…”

The two looked at each other silently.

“Yes?”

“I-- I have to go to the bathroom,” Jack stammered. “Be right back!”

Jack ran out of the room and leaned against the hallway wall as he clutched at his chest and tried to calm his racing heart.

**II.**

Bitty propped the phone on a rock next to where he sat on the hood of Coach’s pick-up truck.

“How’s that?” he asked.

The plan was for the two of them to watch the sunset together. If Jack and Bitty couldn’t do something romantic in person yet, then by god, they’d try over the phone.

“Yeah, I think I can see,” Jack said through the speakerphone.

Bitty hummed. “Well, until I can see your handsome face again in real life, and we can watch sunsets till our retinas burn out, this’ll have to do.”

Jack laughed. “I don’t think I want to watch that many sunsets.”

The truck was parked on a dock overlooking a small lake. Jack couldn’t make out the horizon, but it was the thought that counted, and if he thought this made Bitty happy, he didn’t mind.

“Do you have your cheese and crackers?” Bitty asked. 

Jack could hear him take a bite out of an apple.

“How about some pretzels and mustard?” Jack called out. 

It was late dusk in Providence, and he sat on his balcony with a bowl of pretzels balanced on his lap. Bitty began to sing, what Jack imagined was a Beyoncé song, softly.

“That’s pretty, Bits.”

“Oh lord, you can hear me?”

“Yeah,” Jack smiled.

“I wish I had a picture of you to keep in my pocket of how you looked after you kissed me,” Bitty said apropos nothing.

Jack could feel himself blush and wished more than anything Bitty was there with him.

“There goes the sun. Can you see it?” Bitty asked, and Jack could hear the joy in his voice. Jack’s heart melted at Bitty’s sweetness.

“Bits?”

“Hmm?” 

“I love… this sunset.”

“Me, too, sweetheart,” Bitty replied.

Jack smiled ruefully and ate a pretzel.

**III.**

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” Bitty said as he threw his arms around Jack. 

The two chuckled and tumbled onto Bitty’s bed, thankful that they were alone in the house as Coach and Suzanne had made a quick run to Target for last-minute Fourth of July party supplies.

Jack scooched back to rest against Bitty’s headboard and then pulled Bitty toward him sliding his hands against Bitty’s ribcage. Bitty screeched in surprise. 

“Don’t!” he yelled. “I’m ticklish!”

Jack’s eyes lit up. Well, that was just the best possible news he could have gotten at that moment as he began to tickle Bitty.

“You’re in for it now, Bittle!” Jack cried with glee.

“STOP!” Bitty shouted in between peals of laughter. “JACK LAURENT ZIMMERMANN, YOU STINKER! STOP!”

Jack was laughing so hard, he hardly noticed when the two rolled off the bed and plopped onto the floor. He tickled Bitty until Bitty actually snorted. 

“I love—” Jack paused and thought this wasn’t the romantic declaration he wanted his first _I love you_ to be. “I love tickling you. You’re so cute when you’re ready to pee your pants.”

Bitty smacked Jack on the arm and kissed his nose.

“You’re a scoundrel, and I hate you,” Bitty said and added another kiss.

Jack smiled. 

“Scoundrel, eh?”

“If the jockstrap fits,” Bitty replied.

Jack leaned in and tickled Bitty some more.

**IV.**

This was it. 

Bitty was arriving from Madison that afternoon, and Jack had everything planned. He was going to make Bitty dinner (that chicken satay with peanut sauce recipe Maman had sent him), he had a bottle of that white wine Bitty liked, and they would sit on the balcony and then finally, _finally_ Jack would tell Bitty he loved him.

“Eric, I love you,” Jack said to himself, practicing a couple of times. He swallowed dryly and felt his heartbeat begin to race.

What was he worried about? Bitty was amazing. Jack felt better than he had in years—scratch that, than he’d ever felt—and it was all thanks to Bitty.

As he waited at baggage claim, he rocked gently on his heels looking for the brilliant blond head he loved. Bitty’s flight landed twenty minutes ago, so where was he?

Finally, Bitty appeared but, there was something wrong.

“Sweetpea, get me out of here,” Bitty moaned as he flung himself into Jack’s arms.

“What’s wrong, bud?”

Bitty’s face was flushed. His hair was damp and matted to his forehead. He sighed as he drooped against Jack.

“I woke up around 4:00 this morning, and I just wasn't feeling right. My head was pounding, like a tiny donkey was kicking me nonstop.”

“Oh no,” Jack said as he rubbed circles on Bitty’s back.

“I got up and puked, and mama was like, ‘You should stay home, Dicky,’ but I just wanted to get to you already.” 

Bitty made a slight gagging motion and fanned his face. 

“I threw up when I passed security, and once on the plane.”

Jack led Bitty to some chairs.

“What color is your bag, bud?”

Bitty covered his face and sunk deeper into his chair.

“Red with a black stripe down the center. Mama thinks it’s a stomach bug.”

“Okay, hold on, and as soon as I get the bag, we’ll get you home.”

Bitty nodded and closed his eyes. “I wanna die.”

His poor bud. He looked awful. 

Later that night, after Bitty threw up three more times, Jack tucked him into bed in the guest room and placed a bottle of Gatorade next to him.

“Let me know if you need anything,” he said as he brushed the hair off of Bitty’s forehead.

Well, any romantic plans for the night were definitely on hold for now.

**+++**

**I.**

"And I'll even sign 'em, 'Love, B.'" 

Bitty handed Jack a plate of perfect PBJs. They had spent the afternoon making the bread, and Bitty had shown Jack how to make the peanut butter from scratch.

"'Love, B.,' eh? That's cute,” Jack said with a smile.

Bitty’s happy face dimmed slighted.

"But I don’t have to do the notes! I-- it could be embarrassing." 

How could Bitty possibly think that he’d be a source of embarrassment for Jack? That was the furthest thing from the truth. Surely Bitty knew how important he was to Jack.

"Bits, no. I love you."

He said it instinctively, without really thinking about it. It felt right to finally say it; it felt good. The shattering plate pulled Jack back into the moment at hand, and he realized what he had done. 

Seeing Bitty’s reaction to Jack’s confession was so jarring; had he miscalculated Bitty’s feelings? Jack felt himself begin to mumble—just total verbal diarrhea— to cover his mortification. 

“I didn't-- I meant I'd love it if—or. Ah. I...I. Bits. You were joking but. Sorry.” 

Bitty sniffed as he apologized. He had nothing to apologize for, and Bitty needed to know that. And while this was not how Jack imagined the first time he told Bitty he loved him would be, he didn’t regret saying it.

“But I meant it,” he said sincerely. “I do love you. Which is early to..." 

Jack sighed. 

As Bitty picked up the shards of the broken plate and began to cry, Jack felt his heart fall to his feet. What had he done? 

"Or, I realized you meant a lot to me and…” Jack paused. “Shit.”

Bitty sniffed again, wiped his face and finally spoke.

"Oh honey, no. No... I, I love you too. I've been loving you.” 

Bitty spoke through his tears and Jack felt his love for Bitty double. 

"Bits. C'mere. Come on. Sorry.”

Jack cradled Bitty in his arms. They discussed how difficult it would be to hide their relationship, but they both agreed that was how things had to be for now.

Later that night, the two were curled up in Jack’s bed. Bitty’s ear was pressed against Jack’s heart as he rested his head on Jack’s chest.

“Bitty, I promise. We won't hide forever.”

“I know,” Bitty said quietly.

Jack kissed the top of Bitty’s head.

“Bits… Eric. I need you to know, I mean it. This won’t be forever. I love you.”

Bitty propped himself up on his elbow to look at Jack.

“Jack, I love you, too, and I trust you. We’ll go through this together. Remember, we’ve got each other’s back.”

Jack smiled as Bitty leaned in for a kiss.

He might not have been able to give Bitty the romantic first I Love You he had planned so many times, but what mattered was that Bitty knew how Jack felt, how important Bitty was to Jack, and above all, how loved he was.

**Author's Note:**

> All OMGCP characters belong to Ngozi. <3
> 
> Find me [over on Tumblr](http://wrathofthestag.tumblr.com).


End file.
